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▲ SoftTalker 4 hours ago

Given the tiny size of avian brains compare to mammals, particulary humans, it's hard to ascribe a lot of intelligence to them. But for what they can do, they seem quite well optimized.

▲fsiefken 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Brain size is not a decisive factor in estimating intelligence and corvid brains pack twice the neurons per volume compared to humans. The factor is: effective "Information Processing Capacity" (IPC), which is high for body size and rivals great apes on specific executive tasks.

Extreme miniaturization eliminates travel distance, giving near-zero latency and high metabolic efficiency despite 1/5th the neurons of a chimp.

▲leftbit 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Bird brains are wired differently, neuron density is higher... so using size to compare brains is not enough.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bird-brains-have-...

▲misnome 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

And that’s why Elephants are generally considered more intelligent than humans!